Pipelines carry a pressurized fluid, such as hydrocarbon gases and oils, slurries, water, and/or the like for many times hundreds of kilometers between pumping stations. The pipeline may be exposed to extreme weather that includes a corrosive atmosphere, exposed to alkaline or acidic content in the soil, manufacturing defects, and/or the like. Additionally, the contents carried within the pipeline may not be benign, but may be corrosive and/or abrasive.
It is known in the art to monitor the conditions of the pipelines by passing a pipeline inspection system (PIS) commonly known as a “pig” within the pipeline. The PIS includes sensors and recording devices that monitor the pipelines for any defects. The components of the PIS are supplied power by one or more electric power sources, such as batteries. Alternatively, a separate pig housing only batteries may be electrically coupled to the PIS to provide power to the PIS within the pipeline.
Conventionally, when inspecting the interior of the pipeline, the flow of the medium being transported is used to drive forward the PIS within the pipeline. Due to the length of the pipeline (in many cases hundreds of kilometers), the electric power sources must provide a charge to the PIS during the entire length of the pipeline. Thus, large portions of the PIS are dedicated to housing the batteries, which can increase the size and/or diameter of the PIS limiting which pipelines the PIS may traverse through. Additionally, the amount of charge of the battery limits the range of pipelines that can use the PIS.